History of J. Denny Beaver

More than a year of planning culminated with the introduction of J. Denny Beaver, as Bluffton's mascot in September 2010. Naming the mascot in honor of Dr. J. Denny
Weaver, professor emeritus of religion, captures a historical connection and tells
a story.

Weaver was a faculty member from 1975-2006 and served as Bluffton's faculty athletics
representative for 22 of those years. "Denny Weaver is a leading theologian and was
at every sporting event," Robin Bowlus noted, adding that "his passion for academics
and sports" made him a natural choice to be so honored.

BUCKY BEAVER, the previous mascot, retired in 2007-08 after more than 20 years of service. He
asked to retire with little fanfare so he could return to the banks of The Riley with
little intrusion from the local paparazzi. In an alumnote update, he mentioned enjoying
his retirement, building dams with tree limbs broken from storm damage and spending
time visiting with friends on the banks near the Mennonite Home Communities of Bluffton.

The following year, when planning group members began thinking about a successor,
their goals included an athletic-looking character representative of Bluffton's "power
beaver" logo, but still approachable for children and embodying "the spirit of a Bluffton
student-athlete," Bowlus said.

<<< Bucky Beaver

Introducing J. Denny Beaver at Opening Convocation 2010.

New traditions of the mascot include an audition-based selection process; use of multiple
students in the suit in an effort to keep identities secret; training the students
characteristics that will be common, such as a walk, regardless of who is in the costume;
and, at the end of each year, a ceremony to reveal the identities of students serving
as the mascot.

In fall 2014, Jenny Beaver made her debut on campus to share the mascot duties. The eventual addition of a female
mascot had been envisioned when J. Denny was introduced, in order to allow shorter
students to "get in the suit." Get Jenny's story.

J. Denny's and Jenny's costumes were created by Street Characters Inc., a Canadian
company that has designed mascots for more than 100 colleges and universities and
about 30 teams combined in the National Football League, National Hockey League and Major League
Baseball.

The costume is at least the third in Bluffton history; the first is believed to be
a paper-mache head and furry body made and donned by students in 1967. But the beaver
mascot goes back 40 years before that, to 1926-27.